The present invention relates to an apparatus for connecting a card element to a mother board removably through a connector and a method for connecting or disconnecting the card element.
A computer system includes one or more printed wiring substrates and those substrates are generally referred to as mother boards. A mother board includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, etc. In many cases, one or more additional circuit boards can be connected to the mother board. Consequently, the computer system can have additional functions that are not provided as standard functions. For example, a PC (Personal Computer) has an extension slot in which an extension card can be fitted. Sometimes, the extension card specific to the mother board is referred to as a daughter card. The daughter card accesses components of a mother board directly, not through a general extension bus that is slow in processing speed. The daughter card has an integrated connector that is connected to its corresponding integrated connector of the mother board.
FIG. 7 shows an example of how a mother board 40 is disposed flatly at the bottom of a unit chassis 41. In case where the mother board 40 has so many components, it should be placed flatly to increase a board area. The mother board 40 includes a plurality of connectors 42 that has a linear structure and disposed in parallel with each another. Those connectors 42 are all connected to the mother board 40 electrically. The unit chassis 41 has side walls except an opening and a ceiling board, so that the mother board 40 looks like being housed in a case.
Generally, the daughter card is a rectangular circuit board comparatively small in size and has a connector along its one side edge. This connector is inserted into its corresponding connector of the mother board, thereby the daughter card is connected electrically to the mother board of the computer.
To connect or disconnect the daughter card to the mother board disposed as shown in FIG. 7, conventionally the screws 53 are removed from the ceiling board 52 of the unit chassis as shown in FIG. 8, then remove the ceiling board 52. In other words, to connect the connector 51 of the daughter card 50 to the connector 42 of the mother board 40, the daughter card 50 must be disposed above the motherboard 40 and inserted or removed vertically with respect to the mother board 40.
In Toku-hyou (National Publication) No. 2002-512454, a device enabling a circuit card to be connected removably to a mother board in a situation as shown in FIG. 7 is disclosed. According to the technique disclosed in the patent document, the device is provided with a supporting structure body for supporting the circuit card and moving the circuit card to a predetermined position in a direction horizontally to the mother board and an actuator for moving the circuit card in a direction perpendicularly to the mother board, thereby a connecting part of the circuit card is connected to a connector of the mother board removably without removing a ceiling board of the chassis in which the mother board is housed.
On the other hand, in Laid-Open No. 1999-340660, an inserting or removing mechanism for inserting or removing an extension board in or from a mother board without opening a case in which the mother board is disposed. According to the mechanism disclosed in the patent document, a plurality of guides are provided to move the extension board in a direction perpendicularly to the direction for inserting or removing the mother board and specially one of those guides for supporting the extension board from below is provided with a spring for supporting and pushing up the guide. And two levers, one for inserting the extension board into the connector and the other for taking out the extension board from the connector are provided to enable the extension board to be moved in the inserting or removing direction.